


Blind Date With Destiny

by Lollikins



Series: At Home In Your Arms [5]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Boys Kissing, Fluff, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:15:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26874274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lollikins/pseuds/Lollikins
Summary: As Yeosang prepares to meet his soul mark, he's torn between what society and his parents tells him is right and what his heart wants - Seonghwa. As any grown man should do when faced with such a situation, he runs away from home.
Relationships: Kang Yeosang/Park Seonghwa
Series: At Home In Your Arms [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1953625
Comments: 2
Kudos: 63





	Blind Date With Destiny

The car pulled up out front of Yeosang’s parents house. His grandmother had insisted that her driver take him. He sat in the car looking up at the house he had grown up in. It was the nicest on the street and the largest. He hadn’t ever really given any thought to how showy it was, how well manicured. He hadn’t ever really given much thought to the fact that everything was all for show with his mother. If she couldn’t show it off to other people, it didn’t have any worth for her. It wasn’t that he thought that his mother bore no love for him, he was sure that she did in her own way. It was just that perhaps she hadn’t ever really known what love was, her ability to give it fell short. His grandmother was rich because she spent her life working beside his grandfather to build the family fortunes. Their children had been left largely to nannies and the boarding schools they were sent off to. 

It was hard to imagine his grandmother as a distant and non-present maternal figure. Both she and his now deceased grandfather had always been there for him. Even now when he had presented her with the fact that he liked a man, she had been nothing but supportive of him. He had no such illusions of his parents having the same reaction. However, that wasn’t even an issue yet. He had told his grandmother about Seonghwa to gauge her reaction and because she was the safest choice. 

The battle for today in this house was about his soul mark and what was more important to his mother, Bo Seulhee’s money and position. 

“Are you alright sir?” His grandmother’s driver was watching him in the rearview mirror. 

Yeosang smiled and sighed, “I’m fine, just thinking.” 

The man had been his grandmother’s driver as long as he could remember and he had known him his entire life. 

“Your mother is probably waiting for you.” 

While true, it certainly didn’t make him feel any better, “You’re right. Thank you for the ride Mr. Han.” 

The man smiled, “No trouble at all. If you need a ride back to the train station tomorrow, give me a call and I’ll take you.” 

Yeosang climbed out of the car and walked up the long drive. He hesitated before walking in. As soon as the door opened, his mother popped out of the side room. She hurried over to him and peeled his coat off of him and took his bag. “Where have you been? You’ve been keeping your guest waiting.” 

“I had to stop by and see grandmother first.” 

His mother scoffed, “She could wait, Bo Seulhee has been waiting to meet you. Is that what you’re wearing?”

Yeosang looked down at his clothes and back up again, “Yes?” 

“Go change. I won’t have her thinking you’re some sort of street person. Go clean up and change for dinner.” She all but pushed him toward the stairs. 

Oh boy, his mother was in fine form. Still, he knew where to pick his battles and this was not a hill he was willing to die on. He went to his room, took a quick shower and changed his clothes into something appropriate for meeting one of his father’s business acquaintances and made his way to the dining room. Given his druthers, he would have greatly preferred looking like the street person his mother claimed he was when he showed up, he didn’t want to make himself look any more appealing than necessary. 

“Ah, there he is. Come in.” Yoo Dan-ah rose and held out her hand to Yeosang. “This is my son, Kang Yeosang. 

An absolutely stunning woman with waist length auburn hair stood up and turned to meet him. Her smile was radiant. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen and he felt … nothing but a pervasive creeping dread. His dad shot him a small sympathetic smile and shake of his head. 

“Yeosang, this is Bo Seulhee. Here, you two sit together.” 

Yeosang gave his mother a warning look but she was oblivious or simply didn’t care. He took his seat next to Bo Seulhee and reached for his drink. He was hyper aware of the woman sitting at his side. He could feel her eyes on him. He focused on his father who was seated across from him. “How’s work going father? Are you still going to London?” 

His father opened his mouth to answer but his mother interrupted, “Oh who cares about him. You talk to your father all of the time, you should talk to our guest.” 

He cast a half glance at Seulhee before looking down at his plate. He fiddled with one of the chopsticks sitting beside his place setting. 

“I’m sorry, he’s a bit shy.” Yoo Dan-ah said by way of excuse for his reticence to speak. 

He had never been one to take instantly to strangers and small talk and chit chat were skills he simply didn’t possess. He looked at his father and gave him a pleading look. Dohyun subtly shrugged his shoulders. 

“So, I was thinking that the wedding could be in the spring. I’ve already spoken to your mother at length. When do you think a good time to get the families together would be?”

Yeosang’s head snapped up, “What?!” 

“There’s no need to raise your voice.” His mother gave him a disapproving look. “She’s your soulmate after all, it’s obvious that your two will be married. There’s no point in delaying it.” 

“Don’t you think you could at least ask me about it?” Never mind that this woman was a total stranger and while she supposedly had the same mark as him, he hadn’t ever seen it and had no reason to think that it couldn’t be a mistake. 

“Yoo Dan-ah, don’t you think that you’re rushing things a little? They haven’t even had a chance to get to know one another yet.” Dohyun said, casting a look at his son from the corner of his eye. He looked like a skittish animal who was about to bolt if he heard one more sound he didn’t like. 

Dan-ah flashed him a look of irritation but after a moment of glaring at her husband she sighed, “Alright, we don’t need to make the plans now. I just thought the spring would be a lovely time to hold the wedding.” 

“Kang Yeosang hasn’t even graduated yet, I think we should at least wait until he’s graduated. A newlywed doesn’t have the time to dedicate to their studies. They can get to know each other during that time.” Kang Dohyun was often the voice of reason when it came to Yeosang’s mother. 

“I’m sure he can manage. Speaking of his studies, he should probably change his major to business so that he can be involved in his new family’s company. I’ve spoken to Bo Seulhee’s mother and there are considerations with their business as well as the family trip that they all take during the summer. If we don’t start planning now then the entire affair will be rushed and I don’t want people to think we didn’t plan this wedding properly, there are so many things to take care of…” 

“Yoo Dan-ah, they haven’t known each other five minutes yet.” Dohyun could see the look in his son’s eyes. He was going to snap. It didn’t happen often, only a handful of times in his life but when things got to be too much for him…

Yeosang jumped to his feet. He looked first at Bo Seulhee, “You seem like a fine person but I don’t know you and I have no intention of marrying someone I don’t know.” 

“Kang Yeosang! Sit down and apologize right this instant. She is your soulmate and you’re going to end up with her regardless, there’s no point to this nonsense of yours.” 

“Are you so greedy that you’d just write off anything about what the fortune teller said? Are you so greedy that you don’t care anything at all about what I want? I’m not marrying her, not in the spring, not ever!” He threw down the napkin that had been in his lap and stormed out of the dining room. 

“Yeosang!” Dan-ah started to go after him when her husband grabbed her wrist.    


“Sit down.” 

“But-” 

“You’re just going to make it worse, let him be.” 

Seulhee watched Yeosang thunder out of the room, his steps retreating up the stairs. From the moment she laid eyes on him, she was smitten. He was stunningly handsome and there was just something about him that drew her to him. She assumed it was because he was her soulmate. She cast an angry eye at his mother. Yoo Dan-ah had chased him off and set him against her with all of her talk of marriage without at least letting them get to know each other first. She was sure it would be the same for him if he was allowed a chance to feel it. He hadn’t even had a chance to even look at her properly. 

Seulhee was fairly sure that if someone showed him pictures of three different women who looked similar to her, he wouldn’t even be able to pick her out so brief had their meeting been. She wasn’t entirely sure what his mother’s rush was, Kang Yeosang had accused her of greed. She had to know that even with their families joined, she wouldn’t have the family’s money. However, the connection might give her a boost in status. She suddenly didn’t like her future mother-in-law very much, however she would need her onside for Yeosang. 

After a few moments of silence, footsteps came back down the stairs. 

“Oh good he’s come to his senses…” Dan-ah said and smiled toward the doorway. 

“I doubt it.” said Dohyun.

In confirmation of his father’s statement, Yeosang walked straight past the door to the dining room and into the front hall. Seconds later, the front door slammed and he was gone. 

“Where did he go?” Dan-ah turned to her husband. 

Kang Do-hyun sighed and reached to take off his glasses and pinch the bridge of his nose before sighing. “I dare say we won’t hear from him for a while.” 

“Are you saying he went back to Seoul?” Dan-ah’s tone was incredulous. 

“No, I think it’d be too easy to find him there.” Do-hyun had a pretty good idea he knew where his son had gone but he wasn’t about to tell his wife. Yeosang needed time and while he couldn’t really prevent his fate, he could buy him the time he needed to come to grips with it. 

***

Yeosang sat on the end of the pier and stared out at the water. The surface was frozen over and that meant no fishing. Not that it mattered, his grandfather had rarely fished when he had come out here himself. It was just time he or his grandmother needed to be away from each other. They spent their lives living and working together, it was inevitable that the time would come when they would need space. 

Besides, he was a lousy fisherman. 

It had been nearly two weeks since he had left his parent’s house. He had gone to his grandmother’s and borrowed one of her cars. She hadn’t asked him where he was going or why he wanted it. She had only asked him to call her when he was ready. He was not ready. 

He thought about going back home to Seoul but he knew that Seonghwa was already gone to visit his family for the holidays. As eager as he was to see Seonghwa, he was equally hesitant about the talk that they would have to have. 

If he hadn’t met Seonghwa first would he have just gone along with his mother’s ideas for a rushed marriage? Bo Seulhee was an astonishingly beautiful woman and she was rich but he honestly didn’t care about that. Was she kind? Was she generous? Was she sweet? From everything that dramas had told him she would be a selfish bitch but he knew enough not to believe everything that dramas said. 

When he saw her he had felt nothing but dread. He thought that when he finally met his soulmate there would be something akin to being struck by lightning, something that would make him forget that she was supposed to be the reason for his grief and pain. 

He had felt more the first time he had seen Seonghwa and he wasn’t his soulmate. Granted, most of what he had felt the first time he had seen Seonghwa had been supreme embarrassment and guilt for walking into a stranger’s house. It was only in retrospect that he had thought about his slender muscular body and the way little drops of water fell from his hair over his shoulders to run in little shimmering rivulets down over his bare chest. 

A biting wind kicked up, sending leaves skittering over the surface of the frozen pond. He reached up and adjusted his scarf so that only his eyes were uncovered. He knew he should probably go inside and make something to eat but he didn’t want to leave his spot just yet. He stared down at the surface of the water at his feet. He pictured himself just pitching forward into the deep dark frozen depths. That would solve all of those pesky little problems he had wouldn’t it? No more greedy mother. No more fiancee who he knew nothing about. No more worries about the fact that he cared for a man who wasn’t his soulmate and cared nothing for the woman that was. 

“It’s not as glamorous as they make it out to be.” 

The voice behind him startled him and he squeaked as he whipped around ready to fight for the life he had just idly contemplated throwing away. Park Seonghwa walked down the pier toward him. He hadn’t heard him approach at all. 

“What?” Yeosang tugged his scarf down as he gaped at him, not entirely sure he wasn’t hallucinating. 

“Suicide, it’s not as glamorous as they make it out to be. I’ve heard you shit yourself. Imagine, all of your friends and family standing around and you there with your pants full.” 

Yeosang blinked once, twice and then he started laughing. He laughed until his sides hurt. When he finally stopped he looked up at Seonghwa who had crouched down beside him. He was smiling back at him. God he was a sight for sore eyes. He didn’t realize how much he had missed him until just this moment. “Wait, what are you doing here? How did you know where I was?” 

Seonghwa stood and stretched, “I just happened to find it.” 

“You just … found it?” Yeosang clearly didn’t believe him. 

“Your grandmother called me and asked me to come find you.” Seonghwa had been tied into knots the entire time he had been home. Various members of his family must have asked him two dozen times if he was alright. He hadn’t been able to get Yeosang out of his head for even five minutes, even at the memorial. 

It had surprised him greatly when Yeosang’s grandmother had called him. He didn’t know that she even knew he existed, let alone knew his phone number. She said she thought that Yeosang needed a friend and that if Seonghwa was his friend, then it might be best if he went to find him. She had told him where he was and offered him a driver to take him out there. She claimed he probably wouldn’t find it without help. After seeing where it was, he had to agree with her assessment. He never would have found it without knowing where it was. 

“Why?” 

“She said you needed a friend.” Seonghwa turned and looked at him. He was quiet for a long time. The wind blew through the trees, an eerie whistle carried down across the water. “I owe you an apology, I pushed you when I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry for that. I know I probably scared the hell out of you. You can take all of the time you need, just- Come home.” 

Yeosang looked back into the pleading warmth of Seonghwa’s eyes. He said so much with his eyes, they showed his truth, his soul. He wanted him to come home. He truly wanted him there. If he needed more evidence, it was right there in the endless depths of those eyes he wished he could fall into forever. He didn’t care anymore. He leaned forward and kissed Seonghwa. 

At first, he didn’t respond, he just stared at him in shock. Yeosang started to question himself, there was no way he misunderstood that kiss they had shared before he left in a panic. Had he crossed a line? Had he offended him? He tried to think of something to say to heal the unknowing breach he had opened when Seonghwa leaned back in and returned his kiss, his hands lifting to gently cradle Yeosang’s face as he tenderly tasted his lips.

When they parted, Yeosang gave a shy smile and glanced down before peeking back up again. 

“Can we go inside?” Seonghwa asked, shrugging against his thick coat with a shiver. 

“Sure.” Yeosang stood up and winced as he realized one of his feet was asleep. “Ow.” 

He reached out and grabbed onto Seonghwa’s shoulder as he shook his foot. Seonghwa chuckled, “How long have you been sitting out here?” 

“I’m not sure exactly. I’d ask what time it was but I don’t know what time it was when I came out.” He paused and caught Seonghwa’s eye. “I’m sorry for making you come all the way out here.” 

“I wanted to come.” He reached and dragged a gloved finger over the curve of Yeosang’s cheek. “I missed you and I was worried about you. I didn’t mean to put more stress on you than you already were feeling.” 

“You care more about my comfort than my mother does… Thank you. It’s not your fault though, I’ve been stressed for a while.” Yeosang put his foot down and led the way back into the cabin. It was warm and homey. Yeosang took off his extra clothing and hung it up, standing by to watch as Seonghwa did the same. There was a certain freedom that came when you decided that you no longer gave a shit and he, he no longer gave a shit. He felt like he hadn’t been able to take a deep breath in years. He felt light. He felt free. 

“You might have been stressed for awhile but I didn’t have to add to it.” 

“You didn’t really add anything, I was already so convinced that I had ruined our friendship by what I had done that I couldn’t even wrap my mind around that kiss. That was a hell of a kiss.” 

Seonghwa looked surprised and then blushed, looking around before looking back to Yeosang and smiling. “Is that what’s been going on with you?” 

Yeosang shagged a hand through his hair and gestured toward the couch in the living room, “I’m not sure where to start or how much to say. It’s kind of embarrassing.” 

“What is?” Seonghwa sat on the overstuffed leather sofa and turned to watch Yeosang in the kitchen as he made them both hot chocolate. 

“I feel like I should tell you everything, so I will. The nightmares I had- I had more of them than I told you about. I don’t know exactly what I dreamed but I always was left with a profound feeling of loss. I felt like I had lost you, like you had died or something. I still don’t know what it was I dreamed. But there were other dreams too.” He focused on his hands because he still wasn’t sure about saying what he was about to say. “Dreams of … being with you.” 

Seonghwa cocked his head to one side as he listened, “Being with me?” 

“Those I remember, those I can’t seem to get out of my head. They were…” Yeosang’s voice dropped so low that it became indiscernible. 

“What?” 

Yeosang looked up and then back down at the hot chocolate, “Do you want marshmallows?” 

“Sure.” However he wasn’t going to let Yeosang off that easily, “The dreams were what?” 

Chewing on the edge of his bottom lip, he took a deep breath and decided to just say it, “They were deeply sexual.” 

A teasing smirk slipped onto Seonghwa’s lips, “They were sexual or we had sex.” 

“Both.” It was Yeosang’s turn to look around in embarrassment. “They weren’t like anything I had ever imagined or even thought of before.” 

“Of being with a man?” Seonghwa reached forward and moved a few of the things on the coffee table so that there was room for the tray that Yeosang brought over. 

“That too.” 

“What do you mean?” To think that Yeosang had been dreaming of their being together all this time. He would have been lying if he said he wasn’t thrilled by the thought. 

“It was…” An image of Seonghwa holding his bound wrists up over his head as he impaled his unready body, his lips smothering his scream flashed behind his eyes and he shook his head, trying to free himself of it. “Different.” 

“Different?” Seonghwa pressed. 

“I- I’ll tell you about it later.” Right now he just couldn’t. He was trying to explain why he had been strange and now about the kinky dreams he had. He hadn’t even realized that he was kinky, let alone  _ that _ kinky.

“Okay, you’ll tell me later. I’ll hold you to it.” 

There was something in the way Seonghwa said that which made it sound almost as much threat as promise. For a moment he forgot everything and just looked back at Seonghwa who was watching him with rapt attention. Finally he cleared his throat and continued, “I didn’t know that … I mean I hadn’t ever…” 

“You didn’t know you liked men?” Seonghwa offered. 

“I haven’t ever before. I hadn’t even ever thought of being with a man before and here I was thinking about not just a man but my best friend. I panicked and I think I might have hurt you, and I’m sorry.” 

“I wasn’t really hurt, just confused. I knew you were upset, that something was wrong but I wasn’t sure what or why. Except after that night we slept together, I had a feeling you were avoiding me because of what happened that morning.” If the workmen hadn’t showed up when they did then they would be likely standing in a very different place to where they were.

Yeosang sighed and nodded, “I was. I didn’t know how to face you after what I had done. I was sure you were going to be disgusted with me and kick me out.” 

“Why? I kissed you back. You made me very happy, I didn’t think you felt that way about me and I wanted you to. Why did you kiss me then?” 

“I hate to admit it but I was half asleep and I think I was dreaming about you. It just sort of extended into reality but ... I wanted to. I wanted to kiss you and, and then the repairmen came.” Yeosang hesitated for a long moment and then added, “I realize now that… I like you.” 

Seonghwa reached over and took Yeosang’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “I like you too.” 

Yeosang looked down at their laced fingers and smiled brightly, “What do you say we stay here tonight and then head back home in the morning?” 

“I’d like that. There’s one other thing.” 

“One other thing?” Yeosang queried. 

“Now that I know you like me and I like you, I won’t hold back anymore. I don’t care if that woman has a mark like yours from the trick of birth and fate, I’m going to fight for you. I’ve never felt about anyone the way I feel about you and I feel like that’s worth fighting for, that you’re worth fighting for.” 

Yeosang opened and closed his mouth and let out a shuddering sigh, “I don’t think anyone has ever really fought for me before. Thank you. I’ll fight for you too. I don’t want her, I don’t know her. You’re all I think about. You’re the only one I want.”

“Good.” Seonghwa lifted Yeosang’s hand and kissed the back of his fingers. “We’ll fight together.” 


End file.
